Pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers



March 13, 1934. F. H. B. STELZER 1,950,866

PRESSING APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGAR FILLERS Filed June 30, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

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PRESSING APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGAR FILLERS Filed June 30, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. H. B. STELZER 1,950,866

LLERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 13, 1934.

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F. H. B. S'I'ELZER 1, PRESSING APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGAR FILLERS Filed June 30, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fly 10 Fig."

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Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE PRESSING APPARATUS FOR THE MANU- FACTURE 0F CIGAR FILLERS Application June 30, 1932, Serial No. 620,205 In Germany May 11, 1931 19 Claims.

In the manufacture of cigars, first of all a portion of tobacco corresponding to the tobacco filler is delivered to a pressure channel, wherein a horizontal plunger thrusts the tobacco to the end of the pressure channel during which process cost is correspondingly high. Also, the wrappers are of varying dimensions, thus necessitat ing the construction of much expensive apparatus.

In order to avoid this and in order that it may be possible to make the wrappers in any desired ize with one and the same apparatus, the walls of the pressure channel are, according to the present invention, adjustable in relation to one another, whilst the pressure plungers themselves consist of a plurality of members adapted to be adjusted in relation to one another and to be fixed.

In this manner it is possible by simple manipulation to adjust the press in a short time to any desired form of wrapper without its being necessary to alter or adjust the driving members in any way, thereby ensuring continuously satisfactory operation of the press.

Although methods may be known of making pressure plungers adjustable or of using adjustable devices for applying and inserting the work in the presses, in contrast thereto the present invention relates to the solution of the problem of rendering a single pressing apparatus suitable for all cigar wrapper fillers which come under practical consideration, under ordinary operative conditions and without altering all the driving apparatus and the like.

If it is desired to form tobacco bunches of other than cylindrical form, special difficulties are always encountered. In particular, it is often not possible to impart to the substantially cylindrical tobacco bunches issuing from the pressing device, a special shape on the rolling table by means of rollers of corresponding crosssection. The roller should be used essentially only for the compressing of the tobacco but not for shaping, if a uniform filler is. to be obtained which is correctly adjusted everywhere as regards the amount of tobacco and the density thereof.

It is therefore advisable to provide the floor of the pressure channel which is formed as a slide in known manner, with a surface which slopes to one side but otherwise, if desired, is curved, and a shaking device is provided in known manner for the portion of tobacco in the pressure channel.

By this means it is possible, at the end of the pressure channel and by means of the two pressure plungers, to compress the tobacco in such a manner that it has substantially a rather long, conical shape. The particular problem to be solved was that the portion of tobacco which is compressed by the pressing plunger which is thrust forward horizontally in the channel, should be given a horizontal upper limitation so that the second downwardly moving pressing plunger coming from above could rest on it. In this manner the pressing plunger can be given a straight pressure surface which is important, as it has been found that with shaped plungers the desired result cannot be obtained because at many places they compress the tobacco too tightly and at other places not tightly enough. In any case, in this manner a tobacco bunch already moulded substantially into its ultimate shape is transferred to the loop of a Chianti belt. Now a suitably counter-shaped roller can be uesd which merely has to compress the tobacco in the loop of the Chianti belt and has nothing more to do with the formation of the crosssection.

To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which:-

Figs. 1-7 show a form of construction in which both the pressure channel and the pressure plunger are adjustable.

Fig. l is a vertical cross-section.

Fig. 2 is also a vertical cross-section with the walls of the pressure channel in their closed position.

Fig. 3 is a plan.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section, showing the plunger in its final position after compressing the filler.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views of the body of the pressure plunger in horizontal section and in two operative positions.

Figs. 8-12 show a further form of construc tion wherein one side of the bottom of the pressure channel, which is formed as a slide, is slanting.

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-section through the pressing apparatus on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 10.

Fig. 9 is a plan thereof, partially in section, on the line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section along the line XX of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 shows the parts shown in Fig. 10 in another operative position.

Fig. 12 is a detailed View.

The amount of tobacco necessary to form a tobacco bunch is delivered in known manner to the pressure channel (cf. particularly Fig. 3), the displaceable floors of which are indicated by 1 and its side walls by 2 and 3. The pressure end of this channel is limited by an end wall 4. The floor 1 is formed in known manner as a slide, adapted to move in the longitudinal direction of the channel. The pressure plunger 5 which is adapted to be displaced horizontally in known manner, also operates in the channel, and this pressure plunger is actuated through the articulated rod 6 by the control lever 7. This plunger thrusts the portion of tobacco placed in front of it, while compressing it against the end wall 4, until it arrives in its final position shown in Fig. 4. A further pressure plunger 8 operates from above on the tobacco driven against the end wall 4. This plunger is carried by a rod 10 adapted to move vertically up and down in the guides 9.

According to this invention, the two side walls 2 and 3 of the pressure channel are of angular formation, and are relatively displaceable and capable of being fixed on the table 11, by means of the bolts 12 which pass through corresponding transverse slots 13 of the horizontal limbs 2 or 3' of the walls and are screwed in borings in the table 11.

The floor 1, which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the channel, is also adapted to be displaced in the transverse direction. At one end it has a. curved portion 14, and is here provided with an angular recess into which the corner of the wall 3 is placed. Together with the wall, the floor 1 is thereby also displaceable transversely of the longitudinal direction of the cannel. At the other end, the floor l is covered by the wall 2 and has a lateral abutment plate 15. This plate has a transverse slot 15a for purposes of adjustment and is held fast by the wall 2 by means of the bolt 12 on the table 11, so that a longitudinal guiding movement is imparted to the floor 1 by the side walls 2, 3 and also by the bar 15. The movement of the slide in the logitudinal direction of the pressure channel is necessary, in order that after the tobacco filling has been compressed (see Fig. 4), by withdrawal of the slide in the channel, an opening is produced in the floor through which the plunger 8 can eject the tobacco bunch.

In order that the vertically movable plunger may be adaptable to the actual breadth of the channel determined by the walls 2 and 3, the plunger consists of two members 8 and 8 which are attached by means of bolts 16 to a horizontal bearing plate 17 (cf. Fig. 5) of the plunger rod 10. This bearing plate is also designed as a guide for the adjustable parts 8 and 8 The bolts pass through the transverse slots 18 of the plate 1'7, so that both members 8' and 8 can be mutually adjusted. In order that the gaps produced by the removal of the members 8 and 8 from one another may be bridged, the member 8 is provided with a projecting tongue 20 for which a corresponding recess 21 is provided on the other member 8'.

In Fig. 1 the plunger is shown in the position in which the two members 8 and 8 are furthest from one another. Fig. 2 shows the plunger when these two members are almost in contact with one another.

The plunger 5 which is horizontally displaceable in the channel 1, consists of the two members 5 and 5 which are attached to a bearer plate 22 by screw bolts 23. Each screw bolt has a head 24, and these heads are held in grooves 25 which are cut in the members 5 or 5 The member 5' is also provided with a projecting tongue 20 which engages in a corresponding recess 21 in the member 5 This member 5 is provided with a curved part 26 in order-operating in conjunction with the curved part of the floor 1-to give the tobacco bunches a shape corresponding to the subsequent form of the cigar.

Other curvatures may of course be selected for other forms of cigars.

As may be seen, all parts of the pressing apparatus can be accommodated to the desired form or dimensions of the tobacco bunch in each particular case, by an adjustment necessitating only slight manipulation, whereby the centre lines of the pressure channel and the plunger movement are relatively unchanged, so that no alteration whatever need be made in the drive of the various parts.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 8-11 the surface of the floor slide 1', as can be seen particularly in Fig. 8, slopes substantially. The right side wall 3 is adjusted to the floor slide 1 so that the hollow channel 1 of the latter registers with the inner side of the side wall 3.

On the adjustment of the side walls 2 and 3 the floor 1 must also always be displaced so that the hollow channel 1 registers with the inner sides of the side walls which are therefore preferably connected rigidly to the floor 1.

With this form of construction the lower surface of the horizontally operating pressure plunger 5 must of course be adapted to the curvature of the floor 1.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 8, the side wall 2 is displaceable and parallel to the lower surface of the floor 1. On suitable displacements of the side wall 2 in relation to the side wall 3, a small gap is produced between the upper surface of the floor and the lower surface of the side wall. If the sloping surface has only a slight angle it will not be of any practical importance. In order, however, to avoid particles of tobacco being pressed in the gaps thus produced, which is undesirable, particularly when the upper floor slide slopes steeply, the side walls are preferably arranged so as to be adjustable parallel to the obliquely sloping upper side of the floor 1'. In the above eX- ample, the side walls must then be adjustable parallel to the chain line X. The surface of the bar 15 must then be inclined as indicated by the dotted line X in Fig. 8.

The outlet 11' provided in the table 11 for the tobacco bunch, as shown particularly in Fig. 10, is arranged to register with the trough 27 of the rolling table 28 over which the rolling cloth 29 is placed. With the Chianti belt or rolling table there co-operates the conically formed roller 30 1 carried in bearings 31 by means of which the Chianti belt is passed in known manner over the rolling table 28, the tobacco bunch ejected from the pressing device being located in a loop of the rolling cloth formed behind the roller. This conical roller 30 is so arranged that the thinner part (in Fig. 9 the right hand part) of the roller is in the vicinity of the thicker part of the tobacco bunch.

The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-

The tobacco is shaken by means of a shaking device, into the pressure channel located between the side walls 2 and 3. The shaking device used for this purpose may be of any desired type, and as it is sufiiciently known, it is not shown in the drawings. It may be added that the shaking device, which may consist of oscillating flaps or the like, may be arranged over the channel and also in the pressure channel itself. This shaking device enables the tobacco to be arranged in the pressure channel in such manner that the surface is substantially horizontal (cf. particularly Fig. 8). As the floor owing to the curvature of the floor slide 1' slopes towards one side, it will thus first of all form in the pressure channel a wedge-shaped supply of tobacco.

When the pressure plunger 5 has arrived in the position indicated in Fig. 10, the plunger 8', 8 is guided from above on to the previously pressed portion of tobacco T whereby the tobacco bunch is given its final shape. Then the floor slide 1' is withdrawn into the position shown in Fig. 11 so that the opening 11' in the table is exposed. On the further downward movement of the plunger 8', 8 the tobacco bunch formed from the tobacco supply T is thrust into the trough 2'7 over which the Chianti belt is located. Here it is advantageous, as

'1 already suggested, that the trough 27 should be raised towards the pressing device. After the plunger 8, 8 has moved upwards and the trough 27 has returned downwards, the roller 30 is set into motion in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 11 so that the known rolling process takes place.

In the form of construction last described the lateral sloping of the surface of the floor slide is produced by machining. It is of course alsopossible, as may be seen in Fig. 12, to apply a wedge-shaped member 1 on the floor slide 1 which, as shown in Fig. 12, protrudes into the pressure channel formed by the two side walls. In the latter case it is desirable'with a view to the adjustability of the side walls 2 and 3 to place the Wedge 13, which protrudes between the side walls 2 and 3, into the pressure channel on the floor slide 1' in an interchangeable manner. In this case, suitably broad wedges 13 must be employed, so that on the adjustment of the side walls 2, 3 the latter comes into position tightly against the ends of the wedge shaped member 1 Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim:

1. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a slidable bottom for said channel, adjustable side *walls for said channel, a plunger slidable in said channel for compressing tobacco deposited therein, and means for adjusting the operating face of said plunger so as to correspond with the adjustments of the side walls of said channel.

2. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, wherein the cigar filler is compressed, adjustable side walls for said channel, a plunger for compressing tobacco in said channel, and said plunger having an adjustable operating surface to correspond with the adjustments of said side walls.

3. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a slide constituting the bottom of said channel, a plunger adapted to compress tobacco in said channel, adjustable slide walls for said channel, and adjustable members upon said plunger for adjusting the operating face of said plunger to correspond with the adjustments of said side walls.

4.. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, angle members forming the side walls of said channel, means for adjusting said angle members towards and away from one another so as to vary the length of said pressure channel, a plunger for compressing tobacco within said channel, and slidable blocks carried by said plunger for adjusting the width of said plunger to correspond to the length of said channel.

5. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel adjustable side walls upon said channel for varying the length thereof, a horizontal reciprocating plunger to compress the tobacco within said pressure channel, means for adjusting the operating face of said plunger to correspond to the length of said channel, a second vertical reciprocating plunger for compressing the to bacco in said channel after said first plunger has operated and means for adjusting the operating face of said second plunger to correspond with the dimensions of said pressure channel.

6. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, adjustable side walls upon said pressure channel for varying the length thereof, a pair of cooperating plungers for compressing tobacco in said pressure channel, and means upon said plunger for varying the operative faces thereof to correspond with the dimensions of saidpressure channel.

- l. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, means for adjusting the side walls of said pressure channel to vary the length thereof, a slide constituting the bottom of said pressure channel, a horizontal reciprocating plunger for compressing tobacco in said channel, means for vary ing the operative face of said plunger to correspond with the dimensions of said channel, a vertical reciprocating plunger cooperating with said first plunger to press tobacco within said channel, and means for varying the operative face of said second plunger to correspond with the dimensions of said channel.

8. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a reciprocating slide constituting the bottom of said channel, slidable side walls upon said channel for adjusting the length thereof, a plunger for compressing the tobacco within said channel, a pair of adjustable blocks mounted upon said plunger for varying the operative face of said plunger to correspond with the dimensions of said pressure channel, a second plunger cooperating with said first plunger for compressing tobacco within said channel, and a pair of cooperating blocks carried by said second plunger for varying the operative face thereof to correspond with the dimensions of said channel.

9. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, adjustable side Walls for, said pressure channel, a plunger for compressing tobacco in said channel, and means for varying the area of the operative face of said plunger so as to correspond with the adjustments of said side walls.

10. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, adjustable side walls upon said pressure channel, a plunger for compressing tobacco within said channel, a pair of adjustable blocks carried by said plunger, and means for bridging the gaps due to the adjustments of said blocks in varying the working face of said plunger to correspond with the adjustments of said side walls.

.11. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture ofcigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, adjustable side walls for said channel, a plunger for compressing tobacco within said channel, and a pair of adjustable blocks carried by said plunger, one of said blocks having a recess, and the other of said blocks having a prolongation adapted to slide in said recess in order to bridge gaps created when said blocks are adjusted to vary the working face of said plunger to correspond with the dimensions of said channel due to adjustments of said side Walls.

12. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, slidable side walls upon said channel, means for securing said side walls in adjusted position, a reciprocating slide constituting the bottom of said channel, a plunger for compressing tobacco within said channel, means for varying the area of the operative face of said plunger without the creation of gaps therein to adapt said plunger to the adjustments of said side walls of said channel, a second plunger reciprocating in a plane at right angles to said first plunger, and means for varying the area of the operative face of said second plunger to correspond with the adjustments of said side walls.

13. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, adjustable side walls for said channel, plungers cooperating with said channel to compress tobacco, and a longitudinally adjustable and transversely reciprocable slide constituting the floor for said channel.

14. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, an adjustable side Wall for said channel, a bottom slide for said bottom having an abutment cooperating with said side wall to limit the adjustments thereof, and a second adjustable side wall for said channel and plungers having adjustable faces adapted to compress tobacco in said channel.

15. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a sliding floor for said pressure channel having a recess at one end thereof, an adjustable side wall having a portion thereof fitting into said recess of said floor limiting the adjustments of said side wall, a second side wall for said channel slidingly mounted upon said floor, and a plunger cooperating with said channel for compressing tobacco therein.

16. A pressing appartus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a sliding floor for said pressure channel having a recess at one end thereof, an adjustable side wall having a portion thereof fitting into said recess of said floor limiting the adjustments of said side wall, a second side wall for said channel slidingly mounted upon said floor, and a pair of cooperating plungers having adjustable working faces for compressing tobacco in said channel.

17. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a reciprocating slide constituting the bottom of said channel, said slide having a sloping top surface, means for adjusting said slide transversely to the direction'of its reciprocation, a side wall for said channel fixed to said slide, a second side wall adjustably mounted upon said slide, and means for compressing tobacco in said channel.

18. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a sliding bottom for said channel having an inclined surface, a plunger cooperating with said channel to compress the tobacco therein, means for receiving the tobacco when compressed from said channel, and a roller cooperating with said receiving means and having a part of its surface inclined oppositely to the inclination of said inclined bottom.

19. A pressing apparatus for the manufacture of cigar fillers comprising a pressure channel, a Wedge-shaped sliding bottom for said channel, adjustable side Walls for'said channel, compressing plungers cooperating with said channel for forming a cigar filler, a Chianti belt for receiving said compressed filler from said channel, and a roller having a part of its surface at an inclination opposite to that of said bottom for rolling said compressed filler in said Chianti belt across a rolling table.

FRANZ HEINRICH BENNO STELZER. 

